


this is not a swan song

by godmarked



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Emails, Jaeger Pilots, Jaegers (Pacific Rim), Kaiju, Kaiju (Pacific Rim), Major Character Injury, Multimedia, Other, Social Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24143620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godmarked/pseuds/godmarked
Summary: In January of 2020, Jaeger "Twin Star", piloted by Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugou is destroyed by a Kaiju. Izuku washes up on Hong Kong's shore, half-dead and inside a destroyed Jaeger. Katsuki is rescued by the Japanese Jaeger program and then disappears a few days later, dropping all contact with former friends, family, and employers.
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 69





	this is not a swan song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [balquida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/balquida/gifts).



**COMMUNICATION UNIT - TWIN STAR ; 01.13.2020 ; 3:28 AM JST [TRANSCRIBED BY SUPPORT ANALYST HATSUME, MEI]**

**PILOTS ; MJR. BAKUGOU, KATSUKI [COMM O1], MJR. MIDORIYA, IZUKU [COMM 02]. COMMANDING OFFICER ; MARSHAL AIZAWA, SHOUTA [COMM 03]. SUPPORT TECH ; LT. JIROU, KYOKA [COMM 04].**

**MIDORIYA:** Comms test 1, 2, 3. 

**BAKUGOU:** They’ve already confirmed we’re live, nerd. Stop worrying about it. 

**MIDORIYA:** Just following protocol, Kacchan. 

**AIZAWA:** Enough bickering. Are you both ready to initiate neural handshake? 

**BAKUGOU:** As if it’s even a question. 

**MIDORIYA:** He means  _ yes, sir _ . 

**BAKUGOU:** Don’t tell me what I mean, Deku! [Pause] …But he’s right, sir. 

**JIROU:** Alright, boys. Remember, no chasing rabbits, and play nice in the Drift, alright? 

**BAKUGOU:** Don’t tell me how to do my job, punk. 

**JIROU:** Punk is a compliment, jerkass. Alright, Twin Star, initiating neural handshake in 3… 2… 1!

**[Muffled noises from both BAKUGOU and MIDORIYA as the neural handshake is initiated and completed.]**

**JIROU:** Neural handshake completed! How are we feeling, boys? 

**BAKUGOU:** Fucking fine,  _ mom _ . 

**MIDORIYA:** Like you really don’t deserve the right to use the royal ‘we’ when you’ve never done this, Jirou-san. 

**JIROU:** Fair point, Midoriya-kun. But you’re both feeling ready to kick some ass?

**MIDORIYA & BAKUGOU: ** _ Always _ . 

**AIZAWA:** Alright. Twin Star, you’re rolling out- you’ve got a Category 3 Kaiju to deal with. Goal is to defend the coastline. 

**BAKUGOU:** Got it. 

**MIDORIYA:** ...Wait. 

**AIZAWA:** Is there a problem, Midoriya?

**MIDORIYA:** The area isn’t clear. Radar’s picking up something small- I’d guess a fishing boat that missed the evac orders. 

**AIZAWA:** Proceed with the mission, Midoriya. You can’t risk thousands of lives for a fishing boat that holds ten people at most. 

**MIDORIYA:** But-

**AIZAWA:** Your orders are _ final _ , Major Midoriya. 

**BAKUGOU:** Let it go, Deku. It’s just one boat, and we’ve got a fucking job to do.

**MIDORIYA:** ...Fine. 

**JIROU:** ...Alright, boys. You’re dropping in 3, 2, 1, and-

**[Static and comm fuzz from external noise of Jaeger landing]**

**JIROU:** -and they stick the landing. Left and Right hemispheres calibrated, you’re good to go, Twin Star. Plus ultra!

**MIDORIYA:** Plus ultra. 

**BAKUGOU:** ...Plus ultra, or whatever. 

**MIDORIYA:** You ready, Kacchan? 

**BAKUGOU:** Let’s fucking go, Deku. 

**[Various comm fritz from external noise. Breathing and noises of exertion can be heard from both Mjr. Bakugou and Mjr. Midoriya as they pilot Twin Star towards the Kaiju signal.]**

**BAKUGOU:** Kaiju sighted. Let’s light this motherfucker up. 

**MIDORIYA:** Kacchan, wait- 

**BAKUGOU:** Deku, what the fuck are you doing?

**AIZAWA:** Twin Star,  _ report _ . 

**BAKUGOU:** Deku, wait-

**[Muffled arguing from Mjr. Bakugou and Mjr. Midoriya.]**

**MIDORIYA:** I can’t just let them  _ die _ , Kacchan!

**AIZAWA:** Twin Star, report  _ now _ ! Bakugou, Midoriya,  _ report! _

**JIROU:** Oh, fuck. 

**AIZAWA:** Lieutenant Jirou, tell me what the hell is going on!

**JIROU:** M-Midoriya’s gone rogue, sir. It’s causing the neural handshake to fall apart- they’re both trying to achieve different objectives. 

**BAKUGOU:** DEKU, YOU SHITTY NERD, I’M GOING TO-  _ hrk! _

**MIDORIYA:** Kacchan!

**AIZAWA:** Twin Star, you need to get yourself under control! Kaiju impact is less than a minute away, and you’re losing calibration with your Jaeger!

**MIDORIYA:** Kacchan, just help me save them! _ Please! _

**BAKUGOU:** I’m trying to save all of Japan, you useless moron!

**MIDORIYA:** IF WE CAN’T SAVE EVERYONE, WHAT’S THE POINT? 

**JIROU:** Sir-!

**[Immense crash as Kaiju 8175-C makes contact with Twin Star. Numerous shouts from both Mjr. Bakugou and Mjr. Midoriya as the fight proceeds, as well as mechanical tearing from damage dealt by Kauju 8175-C to Twin Star.]**

**BAKUGOU:** Deku-  _ IZUKU! _

**MIDORIYA:** KATSUKI-!

**[Comm lines 01 & 02 go dead, filling the line with static.]**

**AIZAWA:** Jirou,  _ report! _

**JIROU:** We’ve lost all contact with Twin Star, sir. We’re getting no readings- the last thing we got before they went offline was critical damage to the structure of the Jaeger. 

**AIZAWA:** The trackers in their suits?

**JIROU:** ...Nothing, sir. No vital signs. There’s a chance that the suits themselves failed, but they’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean- if their suits failed, they’re dead. 

**AIZAWA:** Damn it. Jirou, get Major Iida and Lieutenant Colonel Yaoyorozu out here- we’re sending in Ivory Watcher. 

**JIROU:** But sir, White Knight isn’t cleared for combat against Category 3 Kaiju-

**AIZAWA:** Did I stutter, Lieutenant? If we don’t get a Jaeger out there, Japan isn’t going to exist by tomorrow. Get me White Knight  _ now _ . 

**JIROU:** ...sir, yessir. 

**[END TRANSCRIPT.]**

\---

**JAEGER PILOT MAJOR MIDORIYA IZUKU FOUND ALIVE IN CHINA FOLLOWING JAEGER CRASH.**

_ Published January 16th, 2020. _

After the recent failure of Japanese Jaeger Twin Star that resulted in the presumed death of Major Midoriya Izuku, Japan was in mourning. Co-pilot Major Bakugou Katsuki was unavailable for comment in regards to his presumed-dead co-pilot and resigned from the Japanese Jaeger program before dropping off the map- he has not released a comment about his Co-Pilot’s miraculous survival or acknowledged the news. 

Major Midoriya and the remains of his half of the Jaeger Twin Star washed up in Hong Kong yesterday morning, and were found by local police force as they entered the remains of the Jaeger. Major Midoriya was found to be badly injured but still alive, and was taken to Tung Wah Eastern Hospital for treatment. Representatives say he is due to recover, although his injuries will most likely have lasting effects. The fight with a Category 3 Kaiju shocked Japan to its foundations as their seemingly unbreakable heroes fell apart barely a minute after contact, and containment Jaeger White Knight (piloted by Lt. Col. Yaoyorozu Momo and Mjr. Iida Tenya) was forced to combat the Kaiju, resulting in extensive injuries to their Jaeger that will cost millions. 

This raises the question that we’ve all been thinking since the presumed loss of Major Midoriya- can the Jaeger program be trusted? If a single Category 3 Kaiju is enough to lose one of our strongest Jaegers and cost millions in damages to another, is this really a program we should funnel our resources into? Financial advisors from across Japan have chipped in…  **_[click here to read more]_ **

\---

**From:** Ashido Mina <m.ashido@jaeger.govt.jp>   
**To:** Bakugou Katsuki <k.bakugou@jaeger.govt.jp>, Bakugou Katsuki < [ bakugoukatsuki@anet.ne ](mailto:bakugokatsuki@anet.ne) .jp>   
**Subject:** You know what this is about, Bakugou. 

Blasty,

Mido-chan’s been asking after you nonstop. The doctors in Hong Kong said he almost took too long going under- he fought the anesthetics to the last moment, demanding to know what had happened to you. All he wants to know is where you are, how you are, what you’re doing. 

Come back to the Japan. You can’t hide from this forever, Bakugou. 

Love,

Mina

\---

**From:** Bakugou Katsuki < [ bakugoukatsuki@anet.ne.jp ](mailto:bakugokatsuki@anet.ne.jp) >   
**To:** Ashido Mina <m.ashido@jaeger.govt.jp>   
**Subject:** Re: You know what this is about, Bakugou.

Pinky-

Lose my fucking number.

\---

**The Underworld of NYC - Solo Jaeger Fights and How They’re Effecting the Public Opinion of Jaegers** [Video originally posted by Tim “Solo” Stoker’s youtube account,  **SOLOJAEGER** , on August 24, 2020. Total video time: 1 hour and 23 minutes. Link to transcript uploaded August 25, 2020 to  **SOLOJAEGER** ’s official Twitter account]. 

**SOLO:** So, like- the public opinion of Jaegers has been on a downwards spiral since the loss of Twin Star earlier this year. They were supposed to be the next All Might- Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugou were the second coming of David Shield and Yagi Toshinori, pilots of the first ever Jaeger and scientists behind the Drift technology. 

**SOLO:** But the end of Twin Star as a unit isn’t the only thing dragging public opinion down, see- Kaiju scavenging and Solo Jaeger Fights are both bringing huge amounts of criticism to the Jaeger program and swaying people in favor of the Pacific Wall program. And you all know my opinion on  _ that _ \- if you haven’t seen my video on why the Pacific Wall program is a bad idea, there’ll be a link in the description. If you’re interested in the subject of Kaiju scavenging, I’d recommend Dr. Denki Kaminari’s interview on the subject, which will also be linked. 

**SOLO:** But this is a video about Solo Jaeger fights. For those of you who don’t know, Solo Jaeger fights are the newest level of underground fight rings- quite literally underground, here in New York. When we found out that a single pilot could control a Jaeger if it was small enough, and had a weak enough neural load, the first thought was to use them against Kaijus. This proved ineffective, because they were too small to have any real impact, only around four meters tall each. But against each  _ other _ ? Suddenly, we could play out mecha fights from anime and movies in real life. 

**SOLO:** The fights quickly went underground- literally. The subway tunnels in NYC were declared unsafe after the first few Kaiju raids, and thousands of deaths that occured.  **  
** They’re still there, though- there’s around 245 miles of track, and 60% of that is underground. Now that they’re abandoned and closed off to the public, that’s where Solo Jaeger fights have been taking place. Now, despite their illegal nature, these fights have a massive online following. There are  _ celebrities _ for this shit, Jaeger Pilots who’ve made a name for themselves duking it out with other pilots. 

**SOLO:** I can name several off the top of my head- Ground Zero is relatively new on the scene, but Youtube and Reddit’s r/solojaegerfights are already full of videos of his jaeger, which will come up on screen…  _ now _ . Everyone say thank you, Editor Sasha, for your incredibly hard work on making my videos look nice. You’re the best. 

**SOLO:** Now, where was I? Right- why exactly these fights are  _ bad _ . “But Solo,” you might be asking, “They’re so cool! How could they possibly be bad?” And I’ll tell you, grasshopper- because they bright the association of Jaegers from protectors of countries to underground street fighters. There’s no trust in Jaeger pilots when we think of underground Solo Fights, and that leads to less trust in Jaeger pilots when they’re up against Kaiju. 

\---

r/solojaegerfights

Posted by  u/GravityBreaker_Angel 2 weeks ago (June 3rd 2020)

**Anyone else think GZ’s fighting style is reminiscent of Twin Star?**

I’ve been watching videos of Ground Zero’s solo fights (specifically  this and  this ) and it struck me as kind of familiar, so I went digging. I ended up watching a civilian video of a Twin Star fight against a Category 2 from a few years ago ( here , mirrored  here ) and the way GZ fights is like… eerily similar. 

Like, not to be a  _ total _ conspiracy theorist, but Katsuki Bakugou did disappear off the face of the earth after the fight in last January… what if he picked up Jaeger fights because he missed the real thing? Trying to chase some of the former glory? 

  
  


**u/reddddrioting** **2.2k points** **· 1 week ago**  
Man, is this really what we’ve become? There’s no way an official Jaeger pilot (who fought and killed  _ six _ Kaiju, the current world record) would reduce himself to beating the shit out of wannabes in solo fights. GZ is probably just a Twin Stars fan (and who fucking wasn’t) who picked up fighting because TS weren’t around anymore. Stop deluding yourself.

**u/bigdickgroundzero** **5.1k points · 3 days ago**  
Jesus, who shit in your cereal? You’re right, but you didn’t have to be a bitch about it. Sometimes people like to think about things that are fun.   
Edit: Thanks for silver, reddit! 

\---

**Life after Kaijus- Midoriya Izuku discusses recovery, drifting, and continuing his work with Jaegers.**

Interview conducted & article written by Watanabe Danielle.   
_ Originally Published April 3rd 2021 _

Major Midoriya Izuku lives in a simple, clean apartment in downtown Tokyo. I have to show three different IDs before the doorman will let me in, and then I wait in the meticulously clean lobby to be buzzed up to his apartment. With crisp, fresh decor, it’s a little hard to believe that it’s more than a model home, but there are personal touches all around that show some of the ex-Jaeger pilot’s personality- pictures on the wall of him with friends, a crayon drawing pinned to the fridge with an  _ All Might _ memorabilia magnet. 

Midoriya himself is dressed in a plain pair of jeans, a t-shirt that reads “T-Shirt” across the chest, and socks with cats on them. There’s an easy, confident air around him, despite the medical braces warn on both arms- this is a man who has saved Japan over and over again, and you can tell that confidence is something that lingers. After some introductions, we sit down at his kitchen table and get right into it. 

**So, first question- how are you doing, Major Midoriya?** Haha, thank you for asking! Oh, and just Midoriya is fine- no need for the title. I’m doing alright, honestly. Better than I could have imagined this time last year. 

**When you were in recovery?** [He waves his arms about]. I’m still _in_ recovery, but yeah- last April, my arms were barely anything more than skin and shards of bone. Now they’re skin, shards of bone, and metal sticks to keep them in place! 

**How is recovery coming?** Good, good. [He flexes his hands, clearly showing off.] I don’t quite have full range of motion, and I probably never will, but I can use chopsticks again, which is a _major_ relief, haha. It’s a miracle that I’ve gotten to this point, honestly, and I’m incredibly thankful to my PT for helping me come this far. 

**Glad to hear it! Has your injury prevented you from working?** Thankfully, no! I’ve been doing a lot of working from home, but I’m still involved with the Jaeger program, just a little bit more…  _ hands off _ . [He grins, and slowly brings his hands into finger guns.] 

**What sort of work are you doing?** I can’t talk about all of it, but there’s few people more familiar with Drift technology than Jaeger pilots- that’s why David Shield and Yagi Toshinori were so successful. It’s a fresh perspective that can be really helpful in training prospective pilots and in modifying the technology, so it’s been a lot of answering questions.

**So you’re used to it, at least.** Oh, absolutely. This is fun, compared to the science jargon I sort through at work. 

**But you must be used to banter, right?** You mean with Kac- Bakugou, right? [His smile becomes strained as he looks down at the table]. Yeah, we- we had good banter. It’s probably what I miss the most, honestly. 

**Is it hard to banter when you’re drifting?** A little, because you’re in each other’s head, but it’s part of what keeps you grounded, right? There’s so many memories flooding you, and it gets hard to sort who’s who for us- we’ve known each other since we were born, so a lot of the memories overlap. Banter helps keep us separated, stops us from chasing the rabbit. You start to get lost in a memory, and then  _ bam _ [he slaps a hand down on the table] your co-pilot is calling you a nerd and you’re back to you. 

**Have you drifted with anyone else since the January fight?** [He grins. If he’s still upset, he’s doing a good job hiding it.] Are you kidding? You couldn’t  _ pay _ them to let me within ten feet of another Jaeger, let alone try to drift with someone. I’m pretty firmly on the bench. 

**So you’re a techie?** Ha, I guess you could say that! Working with the technology division on how to make drifting less dangerous has been really fulfilling work, though. 

**Do you ever want to go back to piloting?** I’m really not sure. I did a lot of good piloting Twin Star, and helped a lot of people, but the fight we lost made me reevaluate a lot of things in my life, and how I piloted. If I do go back to piloting, I’ll want it to be with a clear head and understanding of what I want to fight for. 

**How do you feel about the scrutiny that the Jaeger program has come under, and the rumors of it being shut down?** I think that it’ll be a disappointment if the Jaeger program gets shut down, and a dangerous one at that. The Pacific Wall is a good idea, putting an obstacle between us and the Kaiju, but the Kaiju aren’t dumb animals- they know how to fight, and I’d bet they know how to climb. Jaegers are currently our best line of defense, and we’ve already seen a rapid decline in them worldwide- we should hang on to what we’ve got. 

**What will you do if the Jaeger program does go under?** My mom’s been wanting a garden for a few years now- If the Jaeger program does shut down, the one positive is that I’ll be able to help her get one started. 

\---

**From:** Aizawa Shouta < [ s.aizawa@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:s.aizawa@jaeger.govt.jp) >  
**To:** Mail List ; Pilots < [ i.midoriya@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:i.midoriya@jaeger.govt.jp) ,  [ m.ashido@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:m.ashido@jaeger.govt.jp) ,  [ m.yaoyorozu@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:m.yaoyorozu@jaeger.govt.jp) , 10 others>, Mail List ; Research & Tech Divisions < [ d.kaminari@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:d.kaminari@jaeger.govt.jp) ,  [ k.jirou@jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:k.jirou@jaeger.govt.jp) , m.hatsume [ @jaeger.govt.jp ](mailto:h.shinsou@jaeger.govt.jp) , 35 others>  
**Subject:** Closure of Jaeger Program

It is my unfortunate job to day to disclose that the Jaeger program was officially shut down as of this morning. Due to this, the remaining working Jaegers in our control are being shipped to Hong Kong’s U.A facility for safekeeping as a precautionary measure. This includes project 1-A, the Jaeger White Knight, and the Jaeger Red Riot. 

I wish you all the best of luck in future endeavors. Please contact me if you are non-military who worked under my command and are in need of reference letters. 

Marshal Aizawa Shouta

Tokyo Jaeger Division

\---

**jaeger fucker** @hydenseek

i live in japan and people who really think building a Really Big Pacific Wall is going to work… really? we’re doing this again?

**jaeger fucker** @hydenseek

some of you don’t remember tr*mp’s whole wall bullshit and it shows

**hello kitty but with a mouth** @rackattack  
_ replying to @hydenseek _

...Are you seriously comparing kaiju to immigrants and refugees?

**jaeger fucker** @hydenseek  
_ replying to @rackattack _

did you hurt yourself making that reach, dumbass? 

**louisa @ animal crossing** @peachbunniiiiiii

i really don’t get the pacific wall thing. kaiju……. know how to climb………. we’ve seen them climb jaegers………..

**haha im in danger** @minniemice

can’t believe we’re all gonna die because the government though the pacific wall was a better idea than Really Big Robots. a disgrace

**dick spender** @rspender99  
_ replying to @minniemice _

Is this sarcasm, or…?

**haha im in danger** @minniemice  
_ replying to @rspender99 _

Who Knows :^) 

\---

**From:** Yaoyorozu Momo <yaomomo@gmail.com>   
**To:** Iida Tenya <iidaten@anet.ne.jp>   
**Subject:** Everything happening.

Tenya,

I’m sorry about all of this. I know that after Tensei, you just wanted to do the right thing, and we were- I promise you that. But there’s nothing I can do about this except be at your side, and wait for them to call us back.

Aizawa said they’re moving White Knight instead of dismantling her. That means they know they might need a Jaeger in the future, if the wall fails- and when the time comes, there’s no one else who can pilot her like we do. 

Don’t think of it as the curtains closing. We’re just waiting in the wings. 

Love,

Momo

\---

**From:** Deku M < [ deku@gmail.com ](mailto:deku@gmail.com) >   
**To:** Anonymous < [ GZ0100101101000010@hotmail.com ](mailto:GZ0100101101000010@hotmail.com) >   
**Subject:** i miss you

kacchan

i had hatsume track down your email for me. well, i did the first part- i saw a video of you on reddit. i know how you fight. i’ve fought with you, sharing a body. sharing a jaeger. it’s a dead giveaway that it’s you, that big hook you always open with. if jaegers were any faster you’d have gotten your ass kicked for it. 

i don’t think i’m going to send this, though. this way i can make sure you’re alive, still- check the videos online, watch you fight, watch you win. you won’t have to disappear again.

i miss winning with you, kacchan. i miss you. sometimes i think that when the kaiju ripped us apart the drift didn’t seperate right and now there’s a piece of you that lives in my brain and calls me names when i fuck up. 

you win on your own. you’ve never lost a solo fight. i know it was my fault that we lost against the kaiju, all because i went for that fucking boat. i wish i could make it up to you. i wish the last time i had seen you hadn’t been the kaiju ripping us away from each other. 

i love you

fuck

damn it

**Delete Draft? [Yes/No]**

**Deleting Draft…**

**Draft deleted! Undo? [Yes/No]**

\---

r/kaijugroupies

Posted by  u/kaicephkrusher on 1 week ago (December 5 2021)

**The Return of the Kaiju, Predictions my Dr. Shouto Todoroki  
**

For those of you wanting to watch Dr. Todoroki’s seminar on Kaiju + his predictions that they’re about to start coming back in force, you can find it  here, mirrored  here and  here . This seminar was given at the University of Kyoto around a month ago. 

**u/beeeeeeeeeees** **3.5k points** **· posted 3 days ago**   
Great talk, but this guy is such a dick. Have you heard his other talks on Kaiju? It’s like the guy hates the subject he’s studying. 

**u/ganggsta** **1.2k points** **· posted 2 days ago**   
Wait, is this guy related to those Japanese ex-jaeger pilots? The married couple who piloted Frost Endeavour and had that big, dramatic divorce after they lost drift compatibility. 

**u/heyjaxx** **987 points** **· posted 1 day ago**   
holy shit i think you’re right. wasn’t he in training to be a jaeger pilot though?? i had no idea they were the same dude. do you think he picked up kaiju science as a big ol’ “fuck you” to his folks? 

**u/monochrome90** **1k points · posted 3 days ago  
** Do you think if he’s right, they’ll re-establish the Jaeger program? I miss it, honestly, it made me feel much safer than the wall does.

**u/lovvvvelyboner** **4.1k points** **· posted 2 days ago**   
wrong sub, pal. you want  r/jaegergroupies

\---

**Articles Containing Search Terms “Jaeger”, “Drift”**

**_Japan’s Jaeger Program: The Rise and Fall of Giants  
_ ** _ Published December 24th, 2021 _

**_Ex-Jaeger Pilot Uraraka Ochako Rumored To Compete in 2024 Olympic Games as a Gymnast  
_ ** _ Published January 20th, 2022 _

**_Jaegers Through The Years: From Class 1 to Class 3  
_ ** _ Published February 3rd, 2022 _

**_The Myth of Drift Compatibility (Soulmates in Redux)  
_ ** _ Published February 14th, 2022 _

**_Where Are They Now? Japan’s Jaeger Pilots, A Year On  
_ ** _ Published April 15th, 2022 _

**_A Missing Hero: Where is Jaeger Pilot Katsuki Bakugou?  
_ ** _ Published April 20th, 2022 _

**_Experimental Drift Technology To Be Used in Prosthetic Limbs  
_ ** _ Published April 30th, 2022 _

\---

**l00phole  
** ahahahahahaha i just saw you trip and eat shit

**katykat  
** fuck you loop my shoe was untied

**l00phole  
** whatever u say sis  
n e ways hurry tf up or we’re gonna miss the first fight

**katykat  
** first fight’s always garbage bots against garbage bots  
they’re not even fights it’s just scrap disposal  
why do we bother rushing??

**l00phole**   
bc rumor has it GZ is supposed to be cleaning rookie hoop right about now

**katykat  
** bullshit  
where tf are you anyways?? you can see me but i can’t see you

**l00phole  
** i was gonna tell you but then you called my sweet goss bullshit :/

**katykat  
** i’m going to break your fucking kneecaps

**l00phole  
**love u too kats  
im by the big hunk of kaiju rib that’s stuck through the ceiling u can’t miss me  
pink hair

**katykat  
** be there soon  
if i rush and gz isn’t even fighting im going to kill you

**l00phole  
** when have i ever been wrong?

**katykat  
** god didn’t make numbers that count that high

\---

**█████ TEST FACILITY, HONG KONG  
** **PILOTS: M. ██████ [CN: PINK], E. █████████ [CN: RED]  
** **SUPPORT TECHNICIAN: S. ████████  
** **TEST RUN MARCH 2023  
** **AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION BEGINS**

**PINK:** Wo-oah, sweet digs!

**RED:** Tell me about it, ██ **██** . This is  _ insane.  _

██████: Today is just testing mechanics. Are you two good to drift? 

**PINK:** It’s been a minute, but yeah. We’re good. 

**RED:** We’re gonna crush it!

██████: Please refrain from crushing anything. Our budget is small and this is expensive equipment. 

**PINKY:** It’s a figure of speech, Doc. Just means that we’re gonna do a good job.

██████: ...Ah. In that case, please feel free to “crush it”. 

**RED:** Did you just use air quotes? 

██████: ...Yes? 

**RED:** Huh. You’re a weird guy, Doc. 

**PINKY:** [Muttered] You can say _ that _ again, ███████. 

\---

**deku (//▽//)  
** are those the Kaiju sirens? 

**ochako (♡μ_μ)  
** fucking shit, they were

**tenya ヽ(`⌒´メ)ノ  
** Ochako-san, language! 

**ochako (♡μ_μ)  
** not the time, tenya!!!!!  
the wall’s been breached

**deku (//▽//)  
**fuck  
fuck, mom’s still at home. 

**ochako (♡μ_μ)  
** wait, i just heard planes  
is there a jaeger being deployed?

**deku (//▽//)  
** holy fuck, that’s red riot!

**tenya ヽ(`⌒´メ)ノ  
** Kirishima-kun and Mina-san?   
Where are they being deployed from?

**ochako (♡μ_μ)  
** no clue, but they’re kicking ass!!!! go kiri-chan, go mina-chan!!!!!!!!!!!!!

\---

**TRANSCRIPT FROM INTERVIEW AIRED ON NHK WORLD JAPAN, AIRED AUGUST 18TH 2023**

[Several reporters clamour towards two Jaeger pilots. They’re dressed in the distinctive black, pink, and scarlet of the Jaeger Red Riot, and the pilots are equally colorful. A young woman with pink hair, large brown eyes, and several piercings is holding her helmet under her arm, face exposed to show a growing bruise at her temple. Her co-pilot is a young man with crimson hair, pressed flat from being under his helmet. They’re both smiling widely.] 

**REPORTER #1:** Kirishima-kun, Ashido-san, how does it feel to be the first Kaiju kill since the disbanding of the Jaeger program?

**ASHIDO:** Are you kidding? It feels fucking fantastic! 

**KIRISHIMA:** What we did out there is what we were born to do, man. [He jostles Ashido, smiling at her] Just you, me, and one butt-ugly Kaiju to kill. 

**REPORTER #2:** Does this mean Red Riot will be continuing patrols? Is the Jaeger program coming back?

[The two pilots exchange a look, seemingly having a silent conversation with each other. Ashido turns back to the reporter, addressing them directly.]

**ASHIDO:** Everything will be discussed in a press conference soon, we promise. While we’re not at liberty to discuss the details, we can tell you this- Red Riot never stopped fighting to save the world. 

**KIRISHIMA:** The wall isn’t working. The wall was never going to work. The world needs Jaeger pilots- and we’re right here, waiting for the call to action. All of us are. 

[A tall man with dark hair sweeps up to them, placing hands on each of their shoulders. A few quiet, indistinguishable words are exchanged before the man starts to guide them both to an awaiting car.] 

**UNKNOWN REPRESENTATIVE:** No further comments. 

\---

**FOOTAGE TAKEN FROM TRAFFIC CAM A-37  
** **AUDIO NOT AVAILABLE**

[The footage is grainy, lit green with night vision. There is a young man- between 25 and 30 -standing on a street corner. He’s dressed in distressed jeans, heavy combat boots, and a black tank top. He has blonde hair and a muscular build.]

[Approaching him is a young woman. She has short brown hair, and is dressed in fashionable but casual clothes, including tight dark jeans and a pink jacket. Her build is curvy and muscular, and she’s a few inches shorter than the man. She approaches the man cautiously, like one would approach a wounded tiger. A few words are explained between them- you can’t see the man’s face with the angle of the camera, but the woman looks carefully neutral, as if she’s trying very hard to stay calm. More words are explained, the woman gesturing, looking as if she’s making some sort of appeal or plea.]

[Suddenly, the man moves. He opens with a right hook towards the woman, and she gracefully ducks out of the way as the fight begins. The man is all big, telegraphed strikes, and it’s not hard for the woman to avoid his strikes. Eventually, she sweeps his legs out from under him, sending him slamming onto his back.]

[The woman places her foot against his throat, looking down at him. Despite the lack of audio, the movement of her mouth outlines her next words clear as day.]

**WOMAN:** [inaudible]  _ You lose, Bakugou. _

[The man goes limp, and the woman looks down at him for a long moment before turning away. He lays in the street for a minute or so after her departure, and then hauls himself to his feet and leaves.]

[End transcription.] 

\---

**CANDIDATE:** MIDORIYA, IZUKU 

**CO-PILOT:** IIDA, TENYA

**ATTEMPT DATE:** JANUARY 15 2024

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING…**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING...**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE COMPLETE!**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**CALIBRATION FAILED**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE DISSOLVING**

**DRIFT FAILED. TRY AGAIN?**

**CO-PILOT:** URARAKA, OCHAKO

**ATTEMPT DATE:** FEBRUARY 3 2024

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING...**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE COMPLETE!**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**CALIBRATION COMPLETE!**

**DRIFT SUCCESSFUL!**

**…**

**…**

**CALIBRATION ERROR**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE DISSOLVING**

**DRIFT FAILED. TRY AGAIN?**

**CO-PILOT:** ASHIDO, MINA

**ATTEMPT DATE:** JULY 2 2024

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING…**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE FAILED.**

**DRIFT FAILED. TRY AGAIN?**

**CO PILOT:** KIRISHIMA, EIJIROU

**ATTEMPT DATE:** JULY 18 2024

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING…**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE COMPLETE!**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**CALIBRATION FAILED.**

**DRIFT FAILED. TRY AGAIN?**

**CO-PILOT:** URARAKA, OCHAKO

**ATTEMPT DATE:** AUGUST 15 2024

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING…**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING…**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE INITIATING...**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE COMPLETE!**

**HEMISPHERES CALIBRATING…**

**CALIBRATION ERROR**

**NEURAL HANDSHAKE DISSOLVING**

**DRIFT FAILED. TRY AGAIN?**

\---

**FOOTAGE TAKEN FROM SECURITY CAMERA A-2  
** **SECTOR B, ENTRANCE 1  
** **12/03/2024  
** **AUDIO SOURCED FROM PERSONAL RECORDER BELONGING TO MIDORIYA IZUKU**

[The footage is marred with torrential rain. Several people in grey uniforms run back and forth across a large concrete yard, ferrying crates and boxes into the safety of the building. As the footage continues, a helicopter comes into view, and the yard clears considerably. The helicopter lands, and out climbs a man wearing a black suit, long black hair hanging in his face, damp from the rain. After him comes a man with blonde hair, pressed flat by the rain, a scowl on his face. 

Several people scurry to meet them, bearing umbrellas. Amongst them is a man with dark green hair, dressed in civilian clothes, although there is a badge identifying him as  **IZUKU, MIDORIYA** of the Jaeger science program hanging from his back pocket. Midoriya offers an umbrella to the dark-haired man, and then turns to the blonde.]

**MIDORIYA:** Welcome back, sir. 

[Midoriya hesitates, but holds out the second umbrella to the blonde man, allowing the rain to fall on him.] 

**MIDORIYA:** It’s… it’s good to see you, Katsuki. 

[Midoriya’s expression can’t be seen, but the blonde man’s can. The blonde’s face contorts in anger for a second before falling back to his smooth-faced scowl, and he brushes Midoriya’s hand and the umbrella aside before storming past without a word. 

The suited man follows after the blonde, leaving Midoriya standing alone in the rain. He stands there for several minutes, even as the other workers begin to hustle once more.] 

**MIDORIYA:** [softly, almost unheard] ...I’m sorry, Kacchan.

[End transcription.]

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is kind of an experimental fic i wrote after talking with my good pal lil!!! it was super fun to write and if people are interested i may end up writing more


End file.
